Decorating process

ABSTRACT

IN ABSTRACT, A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THIS INVENTION IS A METHOD OF DECORATING BOTTLES, JARS, LAMPS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES WITH A COATING RESEMBLING DRIPPED CANDLE WAX. THE METHOD INCLUDES THE BRUSHING ON OF A BASE COAT OF MELTED WAX FOLLOWED BY THE DRIPPINGS OF A MULTIPLICITY OF MELTED COLORED WAXES TO GIVE THE DESIRED EFFECT.

3, 1971 J. s. SWARINGEN DECORATING PROCESS Filed Sept. 22. 1967 J EAN 9. SWARINGE N IN VENTOR.

A'TTORA/E K United States Patent fice Patented Aug. 3, 1971i 3,597,291 DECORATING PROCESS lean S. Swaringen, Rte. 2, Box 4453, Fayetteville, NO. 28301 Filed Sept. 22, 1%7, Ser. No. 669,757 lint. Cl. F23d 3/16 US. Cl. 156--172 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In abstract, a preferred embodiment of this invention is a method of decorating bottles, jars, lamps and similar articles with a coating resembling dripped candle wax. The method includes the brushing on of a base coat of melted wax followed by the dripping of a multiplicity of melted colored waxes to give the desired effect.

This invention relates to decorating processes and more particularly to methods of decorating household objects with a dripped candle wax effect.

In the past, various methods have been developed to give decorating articles colorful yet quaint and in some cases antique effect. These methods have included the use of glass stain, paints, adhesive backed decorative strips and the like. To obtain any degree of satisfaction in producing decorative pieces of this type, tedious and laborious workmanship must be endured. Another method of producing decorative articles in the past has been to place consecutively various colored candles on the top of a jar, lamp or the like and allow the wax or tallow thereof to drip thus forming a design. Articles so decorated are in demand and prized by their owners because of their bright colors and the interesting patterns produced. Due to the slowness of the dripping candle, however, it takes weeks and even months to produce a satisfactorily coated and patterned ornamentation.

The present invention has been developed after much research and study into the above mentioned problems. Applicant has developed a method of producing wax coated objects having all of the intriguing patterns and other advantages of the prior art objects while eliminating the disadvantages in production of the same. In doing this, Applicant has perfected a method which allows much broader applications and uses of decorative wax coatings than was possible using the prior art methods.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a wax coating method utilizing a two-step process to produce interesting and decorative designs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a decorative coating method including the steps of applying a base coat of wax followed by the application of a dripped coating thereby giving the desired decorative design.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of decorating ornamentations including the wrapping of a portion of the object with a fibrous material, placing a protective cover such material, applying a base coat of wax to the exposed portion and applying a multiplicity of colored coats.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for decorating articles including the applying of melted wax to the article with a brush followed by the application of a multiplicity of colored coatings by allowing the melted colored wax to drip on the hardened base coat.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of an object to be decorated;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the object of FIG. 1 with a fibrous material applied thereto;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of the protective covering applied over the fibrous materials;

FIG. 4 illustrates the application of the base coating; and

FIG. 5 shows the application of the final decorative coatings.

With further reference to the drawings, a basic form indicated generally at 10 is selected. This form may be composed of any commonly available material such as glass, plastic, metal or the like. It has been found that various types of disposable food, beverage and household product containers such as syrup jars, perfume bottles, wine and liquor flasks, bleach and liquid detergent containers, among others, may be used for this purpose.

Once the desired form has been selected, the decorator decides the portions of the same to be covered with the nonwaxed material. The purpose of this covering is twofold, first to give a decorative appearance and second to protect surfaces such as furniture upon which the container will later be placed from coming into direct contact with the wax coating as applied by the process hereinafter described. The nonwaxed covering, it is to be understood, need not be limited to the single area as disclosed in FIG. 2, but to add decorative charm, it may be used in several areas with wax coatings in between.

The composition of the nonwax covering 11 may be nylon, cotton, jute, hemp, manilla or other cord type fibrous materials. Although the fibrous materials in cord form are preferred, it is of course, understood that other substances such as colored cloth, paper or the like could be used for this purpose.

Following the selection of the area or areas to be covered by the nonwax material, a good grade of commercially available transparent glue is liberally applied to such area. If a fibrous type material such as jute or manila cord is decided upon, it may be wound tightly about the lower portion and other desired sections of the basic form 10. After allowing time for the glue to set, a protective shield or covering 12 is removably secured over the material 11. This protective covering may be composed of paper or cloth although plastic bags which are commercially available readily meet the need. A rubber band,

a string or other securing means 13 should be used to hold the cover in place.

A drip catching means such as a plate, pan, newspaper gr the like 14 is placed beneath the now prepared base or orm.

The next step in the preparation of the decorative ornament is to heat a base wax such as readily available paraffin to its melting point. This may be done by placing the wax in a container of the double boiler type or in some other convenient manner. Once the wax has been heated to the point that it has reached a liquid state, a brush 15, preferably of a flattened configuration, is used to apply the wax to the bare, uncovered areas of the basic form 10 particularly as disclosed in FIG. 4. Due to the fact that the form is at a temperature below the congealing temperature of the wax, a harden coat may be rapidly applied thereto. This base coat will ordinarily be of its natural white color. Coloring dyes may of course be added to give such base coat a more lively appearance.

Following the application of the base cast 16, a preferred multiplicity of wax containers are heated, as hereinabove described for the base wax, to their liquid state. Each of these separate waxes is of a different color due to the addition of a dye pigment. Alternately, in any desired sequence, tapered artist type or pencil brushes are dipped in the molten wax and such was is allowed to drip from the end thereof onto the base coat 16. This dipping and dripping step is continued until the desired wax build-up and color patterns are obtained. As each drop of wax comes into contact with the cool base coat 16, it will strike the same and run down for a short distance before the congealing temperature is reached. This gives a near identical appearance to the actual dripping of the wax or tallow from a candle onto its holder. The dripped coating 17 may be rapidly applied since several drops of wax may be dripped with each dipping of the brush.

Once the second drip coating has been applied to the exposed portion of the basic form, the Wax impervious protective cover 12 may be removed thereby exposing the finished product. To give added charm and distinction to the product so produced, additional colored wax may be allowed to cover a portion of the fiber coating 11. Care should of course be exercised so that the bottom area of the ornament does not have wax on it.

As an added possibility for increasing the beauty and intrigue or the article being created, a thin coat of the white or clear wax used for the base coat 16 may be applied over the drip coat 17 to give a cloudy or opaque effect. If this latter step is used, the protective cover 12 would not be removed until the step has been completed.

Instead of the white or clear wax being applied over the drip coat 17, one of the colored waxes could be applied in the manner hereinabove described to give a soft, multicolored pastel effect.

Having completed the decoration of the basic form, a candle may be placed in the top of the bottle to give the impression that the decorative patterns were produced by the burning of many candles in the unusually shaped candle holder. Other uses for the decorative article would include of course such things as electric lamps, flowers and the like.

Thus it can be seen that a decorative ornament may be produced in a very short time compared to the prior art methods which required many days and even weeks to perfect. Through experimentation, applicant has found that the entire process of producing a beautiful and colorful ornament can require less than thirty minutes to complete.

It is obvious that the present invention has the advantage of tremendously reducing and simplifying the prior art processes for producing dripped wax ornamentations while at the same time allowing more interesting and intriguing patterns to be produced than has heretofore been possible. The present process has the further advantage of being safer due to the elimination of open flame and is much less expensive since unshaped wax may be used rather than the more expensive wax which has been formed into candles.

This invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the equivalency range of the appending claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of producing a decorative ornamentation comprising: selecting a basic bottle-like form of nonwax non-fibrous material; covering one portion thereof with a coating of adhesive substance; covering the portion so coated with a nonwax, fibrous material; covering the nonwax, fibrous material with a removable bag-like, wax impervious, protective cover; heating a wax to its melting point; coating the exposed portion of the form with said wax to a thickness adequate to obsecure the color of said form; heating, each in separate containers, a multiplicity of colored waxes to their melting points; alternating, in separate steps, dripping said colored waxes from their containers onto said first mentioned coat until the same is covered substantially by said multiplicity of colored waxes; and removing the wax impervious cover from over said fibrous material whereby an object of decorative beauty is produced.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the base coat is applied with a point type brush.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the base coat is applied by spraying.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the means for producing the dripped wax coating is through the use of a tapered brush.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,3 l5,751 4/1943 Webber 43 l288X 2,63 6,370 4/1953 Kramer 431126 2,841,972 7/1958 Weglin 43 l23 8X 2,959,950 11/1960 Weglin 4131-288X CARL D. QUARFORTH, Primary Examiner S. HELLMAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 431-288 

